How to Pass a Bill in New Mexico

This information comes from the 2009 Legislative Almanac and is something that every New Mexican should know about their state legislative process.

“Each legislature lasts two years—the term of a member of the House of Representatives—and has two constitutionally—mandated sessions. The first session lasts for 60 calendar days and occurs in odd-numbered years, convening in the January after the prior general election. The second session is 30 calendar days long and occurs in even-numbered years. Bills in the second session are limited to fiscal matters, items specified by the governor and bills passed in the previous session that were vetoed by the governor. The governor can call a special session, as can the legislature with a three-fifths vote of both houses.

Regardless of how the legislature is convened, all bills follow the same path through the legislature. Any bill can be introduced in the house or the senate-unlike the U.S. Congress, where only the House can introduce tax bills. The bill is assigned a number, read twice, printed and referred to the proper committee.

Each bill is reviewed by one or more committees in each house. The committees can approve the bill, amend it, forward it to the next committee with no recommendation, or kill the bill by tabling it. Committee hearings are open to the public. (Be fair warned Lobbyist show up to make sure they are being heard by the senators or representatives that they give money to during elections.)

If a bill passes it committee hearings, it will be considered by the full house where it was introduced. The bill is placed on that house’s calendar, which means it is formally scheduled for its third reading and a final vote.

If it passes, the bill moves to the other house and repeats the entire process. If approved in the same form, it goes to the governor to be signed or vetoed. If each house passes a different bill, they form a conference committee to work on a compromise. If the committee agrees on a compromise, the bill goes back to the house and senate for a final vote.

Bills that pass both the house go to the governor to be signed or vetoed. They are formally prepared by the house where they originated, signed by the speaker of the house and the president pro tempore of the senate and forwarded to the governor. The governor can sign the bill, making it law, veto it or veto portions of it, if it contains an appropriation.

If the governor doesn’t sign or veto a bill within three days—and if the legislature is still in session—it becomes law. If the legislature has adjourned, the governor has 20 days to sign bills. Unsigned bills are vetoed.

The legislature can pass a bill over the governor’s veto with a two-thirds veto in each house.

Signed bills typically become law 90 days after the legislature adjourns. However, the legislature can specify an emergency, which makes the bill effective when the governor signs its, or a later date for the law to go into effect.”

Now if that does not make your eyes cross nothing will. Any bill that passes both houses and is signed by the governor has most likely been kill in one version or another over the past few years and lobbyist have far more time then voters to spend with our legislators so that is why New Mexico is ranked in the bottom when it comes to education. The Governor has already told this years legislature that he is not happy with the current budget bill for education so lets see where it leads when they are forced to face the fact that education should not see cuts just to give them a raise in retirement benefits while they plan on increasing payments by educators to their retirement fund.

I do know a few state representatives who go out of their way to speak with the people they represent and I am very proud of them for all their hard work.

People like:

Senator Tim Keller
Senator Eric Griego
Senator Tim Eichenberg
Senator Cisco McSorley

(These hard working individuals were at work today passing legislative bills that would help to increase the transparency of our state government for our state school system. Senator Eichenberg even had his little daugther on the senate floor with him.)

Along with:

State Representative Al Parks
State Representative Benjamin H. Rodefer

All go out of their way to listen to the voting public and they try their hardest to represent the people who ask them for help on local and state issues. They also work hard to let the public in on the process that produces our state laws and our state budget.